<p>This does not have anything to do with getting into Harvard, or getting in anywhere for that matter. I just figured since many on this board have played leadership roles in many ways, that this board would be a great place to get ideas for making my desire to help a community translate effectively.</p>
<p>First and foremost, I want to help people in my community. The way I am, I feel a sense of pain when people are unable to gain healthcare or are very poor. I am already in the process of getting into contact with people that will work with me in a program to help the poor.</p>
<p>Additionally, I am working to establish a program within a larger group that I am a part of that will fight for health care reform:
-writing letters to Congress on the need to provide universal healthcare</p>
<p>What other things can I do, and additionally, what aspects of healthcare should I promote (right now I am thinking of promoting the establishment of a two-tiered system of healthcare), how can I translate this idea into something <em>effective</em> in my community?</p>
<p>If you want to be most effective most quickly, I suggest that you concentrate on preventative health care. The poor tend to smoke more, drink more, eat more unhealthfully, exercise less. Thus, they tend to be at higher risk for health problems than are more affluent members of the community.</p>
<p>It's great that you are advocating for better health care for them. Keep up that good work. However, that advocacy work will not have results for a long time. Meanwhile, though, you can be working to do things such as make sure that the low income kids in your community have safe places to go to do physical activities. </p>
<p>You also could be advocating for healthier menus in student lunches and student breakfasts. You could be helping provide low income families with information about how they can spend less on food, yet eat more healthfully (because the more processed food is, in general, the more it costs).</p>
<p>It's great that you are interested in these important issues. I wish you well in your endeavors.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the ideas! Preventative healthcare seems possible to help promote, especially since I know a teacher dedicated to promoting health by suggesting that people eat healthy foods at low costs- I will look into this idea strongly</p>
<p>To all: any extensions and ideas are welcome</p>
<p>Just remember that prevention is better than cure. Like Northstarmom said, the poor are a lot less likely and able to take care of themselves and their health.</p>
<p>My friend and I attended one of those cheesy leadership forums this past summer, and we actually learned alot. During one of our sessions, the PA Surgeon General spoke to us about a community service project, and it's actually feasible because my friend and I actually carried out in September. </p>
<p>We went to a soup kitchen and asked for permission to bring in a representative from a vaccination center. This was before the shortage of not enough flu shots, so we were able to get about 40 people immunized in one day. It just took a few phone calls and giving up a Sunday to help others, some of whom were desperately in need.</p>
<p>What you're doing is great. :) Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out!</p>